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These moths, with a wingspan of 3 to 20 cm, have stocky bodies and long, colourful aerodynamic wings. They have powerful muscles for flying and beat their wings very rapidly.

Several species have a long proboscis that they use to suck up nectar from flowers with deep corollas.

Some sphinx moths have no scales on part of their wings, and resemble large bumble bees.

Life cycle

Sphinx moth eggs are flattened. The caterpillar usually has a “horn” at the tip of the abdomen, and diagonal slashes around the body. Pupation often takes place below the soil surface or in leaf litter, and sometimes in a silk cocoon.

French name

Sphingides (sphinx)

English name

Sphinx moths (hawk moths)

Class

Insecta

Order

Lepidoptera

Family

Sphingidae

Did you know?

Interesting facts

Most sphinx moths are active in the evening or at night, but some species are diurnal.

The Sphingidae family comprises about 1,100 known species worldwide. They are found on all continents, but most of them live in the tropics. There are some 125 species in North America and approximately thirty in eastern Canada. A number of them are migratory, and sailors often see sphinx moths resting on their boats, far from any shore.

Sphinx moths are excellent flyers, among the fastest members of the Lepidoptera. Some species can reach top speeds of 55 km/h.

The “horn” on the abdomen of the caterpillar is characteristic of the Sphingidae family, and has earned them the name “hornworms.” The protuberance is used to frighten off predators, but it is not actually stiff enough to hurt them. It is also harmless for humans.

When the caterpillar is disturbed, it rears up and tucks its head underneath – making it resemble an Egyptian sphinx. This is where the family gets its name.

Charles Darwin, when studying the orchids of Madagascar, predicted that there must be a moth with a proboscis 12 inches (30 cm) long, to be able to reach the nectar. Many years later, in 1903, a very large Malagasy sphinx moth with this exceptional characteristic was indeed identified. It was named Xanthopan morgani praedicta.

Ecological roles

Because they feed on flowers, like hummingbirds, many sphinx moths act as pollinators.

Parasitoids (parasites that kill their hosts) are among the main enemies of sphinx moths. Tiny white masses resembling grains of rice can often be seen on their caterpillars. These are cocoons holding braconid pupa, wasps that lay their eggs in the flesh of young caterpillars. The larvae feed on the host and end up killing it. When the larvae emerge from the caterpillar’s body, there is often nothing left but an empty shell.